jan. 6 government

6 Riveting Movies About Government Paranoia We’d Rather Watch Than the Jan. 6 Live Hearings

Great minds all agree a healthy dose of paranoia does the body good. But just like any societally induced psychosis, there are good kinds and bad kinds. Stephen King once said, “Perfect paranoia is perfect awareness.” So where does that leave imperfect paranoia? Somewhere on the corner of Capitol Hill and Jan. 6.

The half-cocked takeover of the U.S. Capitol is a great example of paranoia gone awry. Spurred on by internet forums and the rapidly deflating parade float of President Trump, thousands of QAnon sufferers and Pizzagate enthusiasts descended on Washington, D.C., to forcefully exercise their delusions in public. It was a sad day in American history, one that resembled the after-hours parking lot of a Ted Nugent concert more than a revolution.

Now, a mere 45 million seconds after the sordid events of Jan. 6, congressional hearings have finally commenced. And Congress is so ready for game day that they’re airing the whole thing live for all to see. In fact, every major news outlet is streaming it (except for Fox News, of course).

But can the excitement of unpacking America’s latest failed coup d’etat compete with the ratings of Stranger Things season 4? Or will the ultimate binge-watch about democracy-on-the-brink be a total dud like the rest of C-SPAN?

Whatever the ratings, one thing is all too clear: Airing the investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riots is like televising a football game. Because lamentably, there are only two teams and everyone already knows which side they’re on. So while we hope the truth scores a few touchdowns, we’ll be too busy watching these much more riveting movies about government paranoia to cheer. (But send us the highlights when the game’s over and let us know who lost.)

Cover Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
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